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Cybersecurity today is not just an option, but a critical necessity for any business, regardless of its size. For large corporations that manage huge amounts of data and information systems, protection against cyber threats is a top priority, because any vulnerability can lead to colossal losses, both financial and reputational.

Small businesses, although not on such a large scale, are also very often exposed to cyber attacks, and suffer even more because they may not have enough resources for a quick and complete recovery.

One of the key differences between business cybersecurity and home user protection is the scale and complexity of attacks.

Hackers targeting companies and corporations use more sophisticated methods and sophisticated attack patterns. While home users mostly face threats related to password leaks or viruses infecting a small number of gadgets, corporations and small businesses have to protect entire networks, databases, financial systems, and confidential information about customers and partners.

Security policy development.

In order to keep your business data safe, you should conduct an initial audit of all corporate data and determine which data is public and which data is strictly confidential.
Next, you need a thorough assessment and understanding of all risks, prioritization, their documentation and informing all employees (both full-time and remote).

Establish clear policies and procedures to protect data and systems. These include password management policies, backups, mandatory access rights checks, use of mobile and removable devices, and handling of confidential information in general.

Network segmentation.

Segment your network to limit access to critical systems and data. This will make it harder for malware to spread and reduce the risk of large losses in the event of an attack.

Security monitoring and incident response.

Use security incident detection and response systems to monitor network traffic and detect suspicious activity in real time.
It would be appropriate to use, for instance, Next Generation Firewall. Unlike traditional firewalls that analyze traffic only at the packet header level (IP, Port, Protocol), NGFWs perform Deep Packet Inspection (DPI), allowing analysis of traffic content only at the application level. This enables the NGFW to identify and monitor application usage regardless of port and protocol.

Regular software updates. Keep your operating systems, antivirus programs, and other software up to date to protect against new threats. Do not use outdated OSes for which security patches have stopped being released for working with business data.

Using multi-factor authentication (MFA). Implement multi-factor authentication to access critical systems and data. This will provide an additional layer of protection even if the password is compromised. All enterprise cloud accounts must also use MFA.

Data encryption.

Use encryption to protect sensitive data both in storage and in transit. This will help prevent unauthorized access to information.
Also, do not send passwords together with the login in the same email or message. It is better to use different communication channels. For instance, the easiest way is to send the login by email, and the password via messenger.

Automatic backup.

Set up automatic backups of important data. This will help to quickly restore information in case of loss or damage.

Use of cloud services.

Use reliable cloud services for data storage and processing. Many cloud providers already offer built-in security features such as automatic data encryption and backup.

Employee training is critical to ensuring a clear understanding of the key aspects of cyber security in general. Regularly conduct workshops with staff and teach them to recognize the main types of cyber attacks, provide visual examples and conduct regular training.
Encourage the use of complex passwords, at least 12 characters long for each corporate online account, with a mandatory combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. Put into practice among employees the use of password managers for storing and managing personal passwords.

Establish clearly defined rules for the use of personal mobile devices in the workplace. Some companies allow employees to use their cell phones for work. This increases productivity and efficiency, but opens up additional opportunities to attack and damage corporate data.

Develop a corporate policy for the use of removable media in your business. Removable media should only be used as a last resort, all data should be on the corporate network or in the cloud. It is also important to limit the type of media that can be used by employees and the type of content that can be transferred to removable media. Any new media connected to the corporate network should be scanned for malware before any data is transferred to it.

Create an incident response strategy.

Timely response to incidents will help to prepare in advance for a possible attack. Security can never be guaranteed 100%, so it’s best to have a backup plan in case you become a victim of a cyber attack. This ensures that you can react quickly enough and prevent attackers from getting hold of sensitive data. Create a step-by-step guide for rapid response and familiarize responsible persons, employees and customers.

Continue to learn new technologies and tools.

New technologies and tools from cybercriminals appear almost every day, so no company can resist them on its own – technology will not help if there are no cyber security specialists of the appropriate level on staff. Therefore, the main trend in cyber protection of large businesses today is the SESaaS approach – security as a service.

The company’s computer infrastructure is connected to a specialized professional cyber security management center. Such centers in real time receive and analyze various telemetry of the state of computer networks and events in them and detect anomalies.

Security of data and systems in today’s world is a key element in the successful functioning of any business. The development and implementation of a reliable cyber security strategy allows you to minimize risks and preserve the company’s reputation and assets. It is important to understand that cyber defense is not a one-time action, but an ongoing process that requires attention and updating at every stage.